York Technical College Foundation, Inc. was awarded $25,000 from the South Carolina Physicians Care Charity (SCPCC), Inc. to establish the South Carolina Physicians Care Charity Nursing Endowment that will help students from Chester and Lancaster counties who are pursuing an Associate Degree in Nursing at York Technical College.
The award is intended to encourage and assist students wishing to pursue their degree while remaining in the communities they call home. The endowment will increase the number of students in the Associate Degree Nursing Program by reducing the financial barriers that may prevent some students from enrolling or completing the program The endowment will also help to minimize the nursing shortage.
“We’re grateful to the South Carolina Physicians Care Charity for this contribution that will help the College maximize the success of our students and fulfill their aspirations of becoming a nurse,” said Claudine Jones, the department chair of the Nursing Program. “The Associate Degree Nursing program strives to fill the community with quality nurses who will enhance the lives of all those they come in contact with.”
During the 2018-2019 academic year, the Associate Degree Nursing Program had a total enrollment of 149 students. With the new expanded enrollment options, the College anticipates program admittance to increase to approximately 165 students. The program previously only accepted 80 students per year each fall semester. There will now be a spring semester admission of an additional 24 new or returning students.
“Such a generous investment will allow the York Technical College Foundation to further assist the College in meeting the significant need for nurses within these communities,” said Melanie Jones, the executive director of the York Technical College Foundation. “The South Carolina Physicians Care Charity Nursing Endowment will create a legacy of support for our nursing program students from Chester and Lancaster counties.”
The initial scholarship awards will be made during the 2021- 2022 academic year.
The median annual income for nurses was $73,300 in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, the growth rate for nursing is expected to grow faster than average when compared to other occupations.
For more information about the College’s nursing program, visit: www.yorktech.edu/nursing/.
About York Technical College Foundation:
York Technical College Foundation was established in 1983 as a not-for-profit foundation organized under South Carolina law and is fiscally and organizationally separate from the College. The Foundation is committed to helping support student success, partnerships, programming, and the campus environment, along with professional development.